A “SINISTER” patient from hell who pursued a vendetta against a dentist wore a balaclava while waiting outside his home with a “murder kit” that included a crossbow and knife.

Tom Baddeley was smouldering over dental treatment he received at the hands of Ian Hutchinson and stalked him for four years without his victim knowing.

Judge Jeremy Jenkins said the 42-year-old defendant’s behaviour was “chilling” and Cardiff Crown Court heard he meant to cause the Chepstow dentist “substantial harm”.

Jailing him, he told Baddeley: “For some reason you had taken against Mr Hutchinson. You tracked and recorded his movements and followed him around.

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“You stalked him like a hunter stalks his quarry.

“I have no doubt you intended to cause some harm to Mr Hutchinson.

“You are a highly intelligent man which makes this all the more sinister.

“Your victim remained unaware he was being followed and when he discovered what you had done, he expressed alarm and distress. He has had to change his lifestyle.

It is not hyperbole to say that this was a murder kit

“You have yet to answer some of the worrying questions this case presents.”

Nigel Fryer, prosecuting, said Baddeley was caught after a member of the public contacted the police after raising concerns about a Citroen car parked outside his victim’s Monmouthshire home.

He told the court: “She saw that the driver was wearing a black balaclava.”

The defendant was pulled over by officers in Chepstow and the vehicle searched.

Mr Fryer said: “The following items were recovered: a crossbow, pack of bolts, knife and sheath, black ski mask, gloves, a hammer, torch, bottle of bleach, black sunglasses, Dettol cleansing surface wipes and a plastic sheet.

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“It is not hyperbole to say that this was a murder kit. On that night, Wednesday, November 27, 2019, Mr Hutchinson left his current practice in Chepstow and made his way to Cornwall.

“Normally he would have returned to his home, but his plans changed at the last minute.”

Mr Fryer told Cardiff Crown Court that detectives analysed surveillance logs recovered from the Citroen and the defendant’s home address in Bristol.

He said: “They revealed that Baddeley had been conducting surveillance upon Ian Hutchinson for a number of years.

“Some of the paperwork appeared to be schedules of what he needed for an ‘event’. According to the papers this ‘event’ appears to have been planned meticulously.

“Although there is no specific reference to murder there was strong circumstantial evidence that this was the ‘event’ or at the very least a plan to cause Mr Hutchinson substantial harm.”

When he was interviewed by the police, Baddeley told them he had been a patient of the orthodontist who had treated him for receding gums.

Mr Fryer said: “Initially he was content with the treatment but began to raise concerns as time passed.

“He would do this with a raised voice. He believed Mr Hutchinson was hiding the truth from him.

“Baddeley said that about six months before his treatment ended he started following and researching Mr Hutchinson. This intensified over time.

“He initially wanted to see if anyone else had been dissatisfied with treatment and didn't intend to carry on, but found it satisfying that he could see Mr Hutchinson, but he couldn't see him.

"When asked detailed questions he answered ‘no comment’.

“Baddeley went to his home address as he thought it would be interesting to see where he lived.”

Mr Fryer added: “Baddeley confirmed that he was aware Hutchinson ran dental courses. He did attend the venue of one of these courses.

"He derived a sense of achievement from attending.

“The defendant would follow him home from Bristol and also spent time outside the surgery in Chepstow.”

Baddeley, of Cromwell Road, Montpellier, Bristol, admitted stalking and possessing a crossbow and knife.

Lucy Crowther, mitigating, asked for her client to be given full credit for his early guilty pleas.

She added that the defendant was a man of previous good character with no convictions recorded against him.

Judge Jeremy Jenkins said the maximum prison sentence he could impose for stalking was six months.

He jailed Baddeley for 16 months and imposed an indefinite restraining order on him not to contact his victim.